A couple of days ago, I celebrated my birthday. On the morning of that day, I woke up and realized: birthday expectations really change throughout the years. When you’re a little kid, your birthday is all about getting lots of gifts. As you get older, though, it’s less about gifts and more about relationships. While cards didn’t mean much to me as a little kid, now I really appreciate it if someone takes the time to send me a little greeting to say, “I remembered your special day!”Continue reading…

I generally create blog posts that focus on artistic projects, so today’s post offers a bit of a variation! Instead of flexing your creative muscle, you’ll be using your memory and research skills to fill out this calligraphy crossword. Be the first to solve it, and you’ll win a $50 gift certificate to Paper & Ink Arts (update: the puzzle has been solved)! Fill it out anyway, and you’ll be entered into a raffle to win a set of Dr. Ph. Martin’s Iridescent inks. Read on to learn more!

The Calligraphy Crossword Puzzle

You can download the calligraphy crossword puzzle for free by clicking here. The crossword will challenge you with 22 writing- and calligraphy-related vocabulary terms. Like most crossword puzzles, the answers range between simple and difficult!Continue reading…

If you find yourself creating a fair amount of illustration or calligraphy, then a light box may help you to work more efficiently! In the next few paragraphs, we’ll discuss what a light box is and how you can use it to enhance your creations.Continue reading…

2016 is coming to a close, which means it’s the perfect time to reflect on everything that’s happened this year. For me, that reflection has meant realizing how many creative, amazing people I have had the opportunity to interact with because of this website! I am consistently amazed by how self-motivated, positive, and artistic the people who follow TPK are; and this community motivates me to keep improving my own work!Continue reading…

Travel — whether domestic or international, near or far — is one of the very best ways to jump-start your creativity. When you experience new architecture and artwork, new people, and new food, you find yourself filled with new ideas when you return home! In this post, we’ll cover two international mail art tutorials, both inspired by a trip to Brazil last month. The mail art hints at some of the Brazilian pride we saw in Rio as preparation for the Olympics was underway …Continue reading…

My birthday is this week, so for the past few days, I’ve been mulling over what I want. And, really, the answer is nothing. The truth is, the older I get, the more I prefer giving gifts than receiving them! So, for my birthday, I’d like to give you something. Effectively, this is a post full of giveaways! Under the description of each giveaway item, you’ll see a Rafflecopter widget. Use it to enter the giveaway for each item that catches your eye. You don’t need a social media account to enter; if that’s the case, you can just use the “Answer a Question” option!Continue reading…

Decorated envelopes make for an amazing surprise gift! Think about it: usually, a person’s mailbox is a pretty boring place, home to many a credit card offer and grocery store flyer. When something extraordinary graces the humble mailbox, it’s hard not to get excited! Accordingly, today’s tutorial offers a quick and effective way to make an artistic piece of envelope art that will stand out in anyone’s mail pile! To create it, you’ll need a black (or very dark) envelope; mine is a cheapie that came in a black card/envelope set from the North American craft store chain Michael’s. Use a soapstone pencil and a ruler to make a centered vertical guideline as well as a centered horizontal guideline.Continue reading…

In Which Calligraphy Writing Utensil is Best for You?: Part I, we talked about using regular pens and brush pens to create calligraphy. Both of those writing utensils provide a non-intimidating, fun entry into the world of lettering! Once you’ve practiced with regular pens and/or brush pens for a few days, though, you will probably want something a little more advanced. Enter dip pen calligraphy! In this post, we are going to discuss straight pens and oblique pens: how you know you’re ready to try them, which ones to purchase, and tips for using them.Continue reading…

If you can write with a dip pen — and if you can’t right now, trust me, you can learn! — then white calligraphy ink is one of the coolest supplies you can own. All of a sudden, this new world will open up for you: you will be able to write on virtually any color of paper that catches your fancy!Continue reading…

Today, I am very excited to announce that the Kaitlin Style Learn Calligraphy for a Latté worksheet PDF is now available as a beautiful printed calligraphy workbook through Scribblers! In truth, this couldn’t have happened without UK-based Scribblers owner Simon Rous, who has taken care of all printing, stocking, and shipping logistics. It was he who suggested we call the workbook “Learn Modern Calligraphy with a Cup of Tea” — it gives the packet a nice, British spin!Continue reading…

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YOU + A BRUSH PEN = GORGEOUS LETTERING

Learn brush pen calligraphy from scratch with the new Kaitlin Style Calligraphy worksheets + videos. Kaitlin Style is a whimsical, artistic way of lettering that's perfect for making word art, decorated envelopes, and signs!